Arsenal were able to beat Manchester United on Wednesday evening with a composed and mature performance.
Whilst Arsenal weren’t at their blistering best at the Emirates Stadium, they were deserved winners of this Premier League encounter.
It was a much-needed three points for the Gunners too, as it allowed them close the gap on Liverpool in the Premier League title race, as the Reds were held to a draw by Newcastle United.
Declan Rice was the standout player for Arsenal, and caused havoc for the Red Devils with his set-piece deliveries throughout the match. Jurrien Timber was able to connect with one of the former West Ham United man’s corners to put the hosts ahead.
Declan Rice considers Arsenal vs Man United one year apart
Arsenal made history with this win, as they have now beaten Manchester United in four consecutive league games for the first time ever.
Looking back to when the Gunners hosted the Old Trafford outfit early on last season, in September 2023, it is clear how far Mikel Arteta’s side have come since then.
Rice was a new face at Arsenal back then, and announced his arrival in style with a 96th minute winner against Manchester United. Gabriel Jesus then struck even later to bring the curtain down on a frenetic 3-1 victory.
Wednesday evening’s showdown was less enthralling for a neutral, but demonstrates how comfortable Arsenal now are with controlling matches.
Speaking on Amazon Prime Video (04/12/2024) ahead of last night’s game, Rice reflected on how Arsenal have grown since they hosted Manchester United in the Premier League just over a year ago.
He said: “Even if I look back at probably the start of last season, even at that game we was probably a bit naive still. Now we’ve improved in that department much more, if I look at that stage of the season it was sloppy at times, whereas now I think we’re really strong.
“I think we’ve improved season on season. Obviously not had the best start to the season this year, but we’re gaining a bit of momentum now.”
How have Arsenal improved this season?
Rice is correct to say that Arsenal have not enjoyed a perfect start to this Premier League campaign, but Arteta’s vision for his team is clear.
The Spanish coach wants Arsenal to maintain a vice-like grip on games, not giving anything away. The fact that his players only gave up 0.22 xG to Manchester United last night shows how well his team managed this.
Arsenal’s success in recent seasons has been built on their defensive prowess and consistency. Even with Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori missing due to injury last night, they were able to remain impenetrable.
This foundation is vital if Arsenal are to stand any chance of going on to be crowned champions this season.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
